The present disclosure relates generally to video display, and, more particularly to control methods and systems that efficiently switch displays in a multi-view environment.
With the advance of information technology, computer systems provide multiple screen display functions, such as a DuoView technique. In DuoView, a computer system uses two graphic arrays (GAs), such as integrated graphic arrays (IGAs) to fetch and play back a single video source in different timing.
Additionally, in image rendering, a Flip (video switching) technique is used to enhance the rendering speed, and avoid display of rendering procedure. In Flip, an image is pre-rendered and stored in a specific rendering buffer, and after the image has been rendered, a rendering buffer originally accessed by a graphic array is switched to the specific rendering buffer comprising the new rendered image during an information notification interval, such as a vertical blanking interval (VBI) of message transmission.
In the DuoView environment, the conventional Flip technique must detect the vertical blanking interval of signals transmitted by a specific graphic array, and switch the video source in the interval. After the video source of the specific graphic array is switched, the vertical blanking interval of signals transmitted by another graphic array is then detected, and the video source is switched in the interval. FIG. 1 is a timing diagram illustrating an example of multi-view video switching control. As shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed a direction of video switching is received at T1. In this example, after the vertical blanking interval of signals transmitted by GA1 is detected at T2, the video source of GA1 is switched in the interval. Thereafter, at T3, the video source of GA2 is switched if the vertical blanking interval of signals transmitted by GA2 is detected. Conventionally, since a specific graphic array must be specified, the video switching can take a maximum of an additional whole cycle to complete.